Circuit breaker



March 13, 1951 A. RUFOLO 27,544,727

CIRCUIT BREAKER original Filed April 20, 1945 FIG. 2

INVENTOR. ANTHONY RUFDLU ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 13, 1951 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE CIRCUIT BREAKER Anthony Rufoio, New York, N. Y.

Original application April 20, 1945, Serial N0.

589,447, now Patent No. 2,532,336, dated Septomber 11, 1950. Divided andthis application November 7, 1946, Serial No. 708,365

4 Claims.

1 k'This invention concern-s a circuit breaker and particularlyyconcerns'a circuit breaker of the type that is electromagneticallyactuated.

UThis is a division of my copending application Serial No. 589,447,iiled April 20, 1945, now Patent No. 2,532,336, September l1, 1950Jentitled Dielectric Test Apparatus and Method.

An object of the invention is to provide an electric circuit breaker.

"Another object is to provide an electric circuit breaker that iselectromagnetically operated.v

A further Objectis to provide a circuit breaker having a fixed contact,a movable contact, resilient means for urging the movable contact awayfrom the xed Contact, a latch for holding the movable contact againstthe fixed Contact in opposition to the resilient means andelectromagnetic means for upsetting the latch upon flow of currentthrough the circuit breaker. Further objects and advantages oi thisinvention, as well as its construction, arrangement and amended April30, 1928; 370 Of G. '757) A bracket 46a is secured to panel 36 by meansof screws 41. Secured to bracket 46a by means of operation areapparentirom the following dei' scription and claims in connection withthe accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing apreferred form of the circuit breaker, and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the circuit breaker illustrated in Fig.1.

The circuit breaker 34 is mounted upon a Bakelite base plate 35 having avertically disposed Bakelite panel 36 secured thereto by meansof yscrews 31. Mounted upon base `plate 35 in spaced relation from panel 36is a Bakelite column 38 secured in place bya screw39 and forming asupport for circuit breaker-34.

4A contact 33 is positioned at the top of column 38`and can be adjustedrelative to column 38 by '55? screwing therein. A locknut 40 is providedfor locking contactv33 in place. Contact 33 is connected througha.conductor"33a to an electrical source (not shown). A switch arm 4| isprovided with a movable portion 42 arranged for movement relative tocontact 33 whereby it can be electrically engaged with contact 33 asshown in solid lilies (Fig. 1) or .can be sprung away from contact 33 asshownin dotted lines. The lower portion of switch arm 4 I -is formedinto convolutions screws 48 is an electromagnet 49 having a horseshoecore 54. On the upper leg of core 54 is mounted a winding 50. Anelectrical conductor 5| connects winding 50 in series with bolt 44 andswitchl arm 4|, the other end of winding 50 being connected throughconductor 52 to an electrical source (not shown). An armature 51 havingan oliset 59 is rotatably mounted at 58 on the lower leg of horseshoecore 54. Armature 51 extends adjacent pole piece 6| of core 54. Armature51 is adapted upon energizing of winding 56 and magnetizing of core 54to be attracted to pole piece 6| in the dotted line position shown inFig. 1 and upon deenergizing of winding 5U and demagnetizing of core 54armature 51 can be withdrawn away from pole piece 6| into the solid lineposition shown in. Fig. l. Horseshoe core 54 and armature 51 rotatablymounted thereon form a substantially closed magnetic circuit, therebyincreasing the magnetic eflciency of electromagnet 49. An adjustmentscrew 62 having a stop surface 63 is threaded in column 38 and serves toadjust the limit of throw of armature 51 away from pole piece 6|. VAlocknut 6|) secures screw 62 in adjusted position.

Secured to column 38 by screws 64 is a bracket 65. Rotatably mounted inbracket 65 is a bellcrank latch 66 having an arm 61 provided with 'aterminal oset 68 adapted to hook into loop 46 of switch arm 4| to retainthe latter in the solid line position shown in Fig. 1. Bell-crank latch66 is provided with another arm 69 having a terminal olset 1| adapted tohook about armature 51 in sliding engagement therewith. If desired,armature 51 can be adjusted to leave a small space between itself andoffset 1| so that latch 66 can be moved by a striking action of armature51 upon offset 1 I. Circuit breaker 34 can be set in closed-circuitposition (solid line position in Fig. 1) when current is not flowingthrough the device by actuating switch arm 4| into electrical engagementwith contact 33 against the action of spring convolutions 43 and hookingoiiset 68 of latch 66 into engagement with loop 46 of switch arm 4|whereby arm 69 of latch 66 withdraws armature 51 away Yfrom pole piece6|. If desired, varmature 51 can be designed to rest on Lits .ownweightagainststop surface 63.

Flow of currentthrough the circuit breaker trips the device into thedotted line positions shown in Fig. 1 since current owing through relaywindings 50 magnetizes core 54 and causes pole piece 6| to attractarmature 51 with the result that latch 66 is tripped and rotatedslightly clockwise so that offset 68 of latch 66 disengages loop 46 ofswitch arm 4I to allowA the latter to spring away from contact 33 andbreak the circuit.

Circuit breaker 34 is set in closed-circuit position by moving switcharm 42 into electrical engagement with contact 33 and rotating latch 65counterclockwise until offset portion 68 hooks into loop 46 of switcharm 4l whereby armature l is withdrawn away from polepieceil.

It is to be understood that various modifications and changes may bemade in this invention without departing from the spirit and scopethereof as set forth in the appended claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government of the United States of America for governmental purposeswithout the payment ofv anyv royalties thereon or therefor.

What is claimed is:

1. A latch-trip switch comprising a support, a fixed electric contact onsaid support, a movable electric contact wire adapted to move intoclosed position in engagement with said fixed contact and into openposition out of engagement with said fixed contact, integral wire meansat one end of said contact wire yieldingly urging said movable contactwire into open position, a loop in said movable contact wireintermediate its ends, a rst lever mounted for rotation about a nxedaxis on said support into open and closed position, latch means. on saidrst lever selectively engagea-ble with the loop of said movable contactwire to. retain said first lever and movable contact wire in closedposition, a second lever mounted for rotation about a xed axis on saidsupport into openY and closed position, and means on said second leverengageable with said rst lever to actuate said first lever from closedto open position when said second lever is actuated frornclosed to openlposition.

2. A latch-trip switch Vcomprising a support, a xed electric contact onsaidsupport, a movable electric Contact wire adapted to move into closedposition in engagement with said fixed contact and into open positionout of' engagement with said xed contact, a spring formed ofconvolutions and mounted on said support for urging said movable contactwire into open position, said movable contact wire and spring beingformed integrally of electrically conductive spring Wire, a loop in saidmovable contact wire intermediate its ends, a-bellcrank mounted forrotation about a fixed axis on said support into open and closedposition, latch means on one arm of said bell crank selectivelyengageable with the loop of said movable'contact wire to retain saidbell crank and movable contact wire in closed position, a vlever mountedfor rotation about a fixed axis on said support into open and closedposition, and means on said lever engageable with the other arm of saidbell crank to a'ctuate said bell crank from closed to open position whensaid lever is actuated from closed to open position.

3. A circuit breaker comprising a support, a fixed electric contact onsaid support, a movable electric contact wire adapted to move intoclosed position in an engagement with said lixed contact` and intovopenposition out ofv engagement with said fixed contact, a spring formed ofconvolutions and mounted on said support for urging said movable contactinto open position, said movable contact and spring being formedintegrally of electrically conductive spring wire, a loop in saidmovable contact wire intermediate its ends,- a. bell crank mounted forrotation about a fixed axis on said support into open and closedposition, latch means on one arm of said bell crank selectivelyengageable with the loop of said movable con-tact wire to retain saidbell crank and movable contact wire in closed position, a. lever mountedfor rotation about a fixed axis on saidsupport into open and closedposition, means on said lever engageable with the other arm ofsaid-bellcrank to actuate said bell crank from closed to open position when saidlever is actuated from closed to open position, and electromagneticmeans for actuating said lever from closed to open position upon flow ofcurrent therethrough, said movable contact wire, spring and.electromagnetic means being connected electrically in series.

4. A latch-trip switch comprising a support, a fixed electric contact onsaid support, a movable electric contact/wire adapted to. move intoclosed position `inengagement with said fixed contactand into. openposition out of engagementwith. saidxedicontact, integral wire meansatoneend ofv said contact wire yeldingly urging said movable contactlwire into` open position, aloopin'said movable contact wire intermediate its ends, a lever mountedv for rotation about a fixed'axis onsaid support into open and closed position, and latch means on saidlever selectively engageable with the loop of said movable contact wireto retain said lever and movablecontact wireA in closed position, saidlever being rotatable intov open position to disengage saidlatch meansfrom the loop of said movable contact wire to permit said movablecontact wire to move into openposition.

ANTHONY RUFOLO.

REFERENCES, CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent.:

UNITED STATES PAIENTS

